{"id":33238,"date":"2026-05-26T21:46:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T21:46:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/33238\/"},"modified":"2026-05-26T21:46:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T21:46:14","slug":"trump-really-is-hosting-a-ufc-fight-at-the-white-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/33238\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump really is hosting a UFC fight at the White House"},"content":{"rendered":"

No, that isn\u2019t a Six Flags roller coaster rising above the White House, and no, you\u2019re not seeing things. That structure you see is the UFC Freedom 250 ring taking shape on the South Lawn. <\/p>\n

Pictures have been circulating on social media<\/a> and in news reports of construction ahead of the event<\/a> on June 14, which is also President Trump\u2019s 80th birthday. The event is projected to hold 5,000 invited spectators, and another 100,000 fans can watch the fight on a screen that will be set up nearby.<\/p>\n

Trump and the White House tout the event as \u201cthe greatest show on Earth.\u201d But Democrats and the president\u2019s critics have questioned the associated costs for the ring, which the UFC has estimated at $60 million. <\/p>\n

The UFC and its parent company, TKO Group Holdings, are covering construction costs for the event. The White House will be responsible for staffing and security costs, a White House official said via email. <\/p>\n

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\"ConstructionConstruction for a future UFC fight on the White House South Lawn was seen on Tuesday.Mark Schiefelbein\/AP Photo\/Mark Schiefelbein<\/p>\n

The DNC\u2019s official account on X<\/a> noted Trump\u2019s cuts to healthcare spending<\/a> in a post about construction of the octagon. The Senate Majority PAC, which backs Democrats running for US Senate, posted<\/a> to social media: \u201cTrump still has no health care plan, but somehow has a plan to build a UFC arena on White House grounds. Out of touch doesn\u2019t even begin to cover it.\u201d<\/p>\n

UFC expects to take a $30 million loss when the event is all over. TKO president Mark Shapiro told the BBC<\/a> in February that the show is \u201can investment for the long term.\u201d<\/p>\n

UFC President and New England native Dana White, a close friend of Trump\u2019s and one of his loudest supporters in the 2024 election, told TIME Magazine<\/a> in an interview published on Tuesday that he does not view the fight as a political event.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love this country like anybody on the left loves this country. I love this country like anybody on the right loves this country,\u201d White said, who was born in Manchester, Conn., and grew up in Ware before moving to Las Vegas as a child. \u201cThis is basically me spending a \u00ads***\u00adload of money to celebrate the 250th birthday of America, with America and the rest of the world.”<\/p>\n

\"ConstructionConstruction crews on the site of an upcoming UFC match on the South Lawn of the White House, seen on Monday. Kevin Dietsch\/Getty\"CrewsCrews worked on cranes while building the UFC 250 Freedom ring ahead of the June 14 event.Kevin Dietsch\/Getty<\/p>\n

A White House spokesman told the New York Times<\/a> that Trump is hosting the fight as \u201ca testament to his vision to celebrate America\u2019s monumental 250th anniversary.\u201d<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t the only construction project happening under Trump\u2019s watch. The Trump administration is already paying $13.1 million for a contractor to repair and repaint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool<\/a>. And Trump\u2019s design for a triumphal arch at the entrance of D.C. recently passed a key federal committee<\/a> \u2014 the White House has not provided an official estimate for the monument but a report from Axios estimated it could cost $100 million<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The president is also pushing Congress to pass $1 billion in security money for a White House ballroom<\/a>, a request that\u2019s raising eyebrows on both sides of the aisle. Trump has said that $400 million for construction costs on the ballroom is being covered by private donors<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"WorkWork continued on the construction of the ballroom at the White House (right) while a UFC cage was being built on the South Lawn, on Saturday. Jose Luis Magana\/AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana<\/p>\n

Kaitlin Lewis can be reached at Kaitlin.Lewis@globe.com<\/a>. Follow her on X @kblewey<\/a>.<\/p>\n